Hospital opens Ronald McDonald room

Kalispell Regional Medical Center will open a Ronald McDonald House Charities room in January.

Hospital officials said the room was designed as a comfortable place for families to relax when they travel from out of the area for a child to receive care.

Kalispell Regional’s room initially will be open for day use but overnight suites are a possibility in the future.

Kalispell Regional Healthcare Foundation President Tagen Vine said this area has seen an upswing in the number of patients who consider Kalispell a medical destination.

He attributes that to the growth of health-care services and expanded treatment options at Kalispell Regional Healthcare.

The hospital situated the Ronald McDonald room near the infusion center in Kalispell Regional Medical Center up a short hallway from the Birthing Center.

This provides a convenient spot for parents with infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or with children in other pediatric service areas.

Amenities in the room include a fold-out couch, a fully furnished kitchen, computers and laundry facilities. Anyone with a child under 21 who is receiving long-term treatment here is welcome to apply to use the room.

Kalispell joins a small number of Montana hospitals that offer Ronald McDonald House Charities services. St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings and St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula offer full Ronald McDonald Houses where families live during treatment.

In addition, St. Vincent Healthcare has family room suites for overnight accommodations and a mobile medical van through Ronald McDonald Charities. Kalispell Regional Healthcare’s vision emulates this model.

Just under a third of patients now come from out of the area. With that number continuing to grow, hospital officials said the overnight option could be a boon for patient families.

This project was made possible through a long-term partnership between Kalispell Regional and Ronald McDonald Charities as well as private donors. For more information, contact Kalispell Regional Healthcare Foundation at 751-6930.